elDevere Bridal Couture, close up on Emma Bryan

When it came to picking a dress, I had my bridesmaids and aunt come with me around town to many of the well reputed dress shops. As much fun as it is to try on beautiful gowns, by the third stop, I was starting to feel that there was too much choice. So I started looking for someone who could make a dress for me and if I was going to pay for a factory made dress, I thought that I might as well see if I could find someone who could handmake me a dress to compare.

That’s how I met Emma Bryan, founder of elDevere and my wedding dress hunt was over! We met at the Cupping Room in Sheung Wan, located close to her studio, where she had her sketchbook and samples of both fabrics and laces. I never thought I wanted lace on a dress until I tried one on at a boutique bridal store and immediately fell in love. Our wedding is taking place over Christmas in Phuket and because it’s going to be hot, the last thing I wanted was a long cup cake dress that would have me dripping with sweat in all the wrong places. I didn’t find any shorter wedding dresses to try on in any of the five wedding stores I went to and nothing that felt beach wedding appropriate.

Weddings are personal, and I think you have to go with someone you trust. You also need to try on as many dresses as you can until you know what you want or go straight to a pro like Emma, who’ll help you sketch out the perfect dress for your wedding and your body type.

Emma studied fashion and when she discovered how difficult it was to find her own dress, she decided it was time to put her design background to use! She started making dresses for her closest friends who were getting married and one by one, her friends told other brides-to-be. From there, she’s now grown a studio in Sheung Wan and collaborates with Workshop Weddings founder and elDevere apprentice, Christine Ritter (see our review here!) to add beautiful beaded embroidery to any dress or veil!

On our first meeting Emma asked me about the wedding, how I wanted to feel and how my fiancé and I met. It was such a fun time to reminisce and soak up the last six years of our life together. As a minimalist bride, I want to feel like myself on the day with limited make-up and a dress that’s simple but still says fashionable bride. I’m walking down the aisle barefoot too, which a short wedding dress will accentuate!

Emma had sketches of different dresses for me almost a week later. When we met again, I was fitted for the mock up dress and we decided on the dress shape. The fitting was for a rough draft and size of my wedding dress that we would later pin, cut, draw on and change anything we wanted before it went to production. This saves on the cost of more expensive fabrics and gives the brides time to see what the dress will look like and change anything at all! Unsurprisingly, as I got to know Emma and her work, I recommended her to other girlfriends about to get married this year. At least two of them are also having their dresses made at elDevere Bridal!

If you’re in a real crunch like Christine Ritter was with only three months to plan a wedding, Emma can make you a dress in that time. Yes, she is THAT good! If you’re going to spend more than $25,000 on a wedding dress from a store anyway, you definitely need to get in touch with elDevere Bridal! I got to try on my wedding dress within two months from our first meeting and I can’t wait until my final fitting in October to add the final touches! Most wedding stores in Hong Kong require four to six months to order, fit and resize your dress before you can take it home.

I know you’re all probably wondering what my final dress looks like and well, I can’t show you until after 27 December, 2014. Come back then for a wedding dress follow up!

Dervla L.

Dervla grew up in Saudi Arabia to an Egyptian dad and Irish mum before moving to Ireland for boarding school and college. Despite studying business, law and finance, it was publishing that eventually stole her heart. She loves fitness, fashion, her dog Clive and taking quick trips to see her friends and family.